Internal Deception
by D.B.R Hazlewoode
Summary: "Come on, kid. Don't do this. Don't fight me." "I am not," he forced out, taking ragged breaths, "A kid."  Maybe it was eventual. Spencer Reid has disappeared. And he's left the most horrifying crime trail the BAU has ever seen behind.Pos. character death
1. Chapter 1

Internal Deception

*I don't own Criminal Minds or any of the characters. If I did, I'd be married to Matthew Gray Gubler and I'd date Shemar Moore on the side. Oh, and I'd be rich.*

Present:

The red and blue lights flash, splashing the pale walls of the alley with color. I listen for the sound of the siren that accompanies it, but hear only silence. In fact, silence has been all I've heard, for a long time. I close my eyes. Everything..just moving pictures, a silent movie. But the silence doesn't bother me; it's quite the opposite, actually. It's come to be the only thing I understand. I open my eyes and see the feet. Five pairs. More, behind them. I don't look any higher; I don't want to. I'm afraid of what I may see.

Past:

October 24

Another late night. Or rather, early morning. Garcia offers to drive; I tell her I'll walk. Take a cab, maybe. I tell her I need the air. The solitude. I say goodnight and exit the building, knowing that the subway is still running, and deciding it'll be better if I walk. Like I told Garcia...I think I need it.


	2. Chapter 2

The twilight glow of the city is a familiar sight. The street I've chosen is empty, or nearly so, anyway. 'My only companions are the women of the night.' A passing thought. Other thoughts, too, ones that I know I'd do better without.I thought..I thought I could handle this one. But-

"Dr. Reid?" Jarred from my thoughts, I blink.

"Sorry?"

"Y-you're Dr. Spencer Reid?" He's quite literally appeared out of nowhere. Have I really been so involved in my own thoughts that I haven't noticed his presence? I give myself a mental shake. Focus, Spencer.

"Yes. C-can I help you?" He shrugs and falls into step with me. I can't help but notice that he's...well...he's dressed like me. Almost exactly.

"The lecture you gave last Tuesday?" I look at him, study his posture. He's hunched over, hands balled deep in his pockets. I nod.

"I'm writing my dissertation about the topic you spoke about? And...I...I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?" I'm beginning to feel uneasy. There's something...slightly off about him. Suddenly, Garcia's car ride doesn't sound so bad.

"It's late, I...how old are you?" I ask. He doesn't answer for the longest time.

"23. About the questions-"

"What's your name?" Anyone can see that I'm stalling. My eyes search for an escape. But, everywhere I look, I'm surrounded by dark alleys and empty parking lots.

"Anthony. My questions, Dr. Reid." There. Up ahead. A BP. Well lit, filled with cars and gas attendants. If I wasn't as worried as I am now, I would laugh at the irony of feeling comforted by an eco-system destroying gas company. I look away and back to Anthony.

"Okay, Anthony, why don't you give me your number and-" His jaw clenches, and his fisted hands remove themselves from his pockets.

"No," he snaps, voice deepening and taking on an edge. I can make it if I run...he sees where I'm looking and grins.

"I don't think so," he chides. I keep my surprise in check.

"Why don't we go somewhere? I'll answer your questions, and-" He places a hand on my shoulder, the reassuring gesture turned menacing.

"There are no questions, Spencer." I suppose I should have known it would happen. I open my mouth to call for help, and he presses a cold rag over my mouth. The weak fight I put up is fruitless. No one can see me in the dark. As the blackness closes in, I think of Morgan, teasing, tossing me a whistle. And with a weightless feeling, I realize the whistle is buried in my bag.


	3. Chapter 3

Present:

I don't look up. They don't approach. I don't mind. I could stay here, honestly. Just stay here forever...One of the pairs of feet comes closer. I scramble back against the wall, trying to add to the distance that he's quickly subtracting from. That's what this is; an equation. The feet stop. We're nearly toe to toe. Still, I refuse to look up. What's stopping me? I realize it's fear. It's not that I don't want to; I can't. Physically, mentally...there's a block. I think he knows that I'm not going to look at him. So, instead, he crouches down; looks at me.

"Hey."

Past

October 25

It's 10:00 am. JJ walks in, followed by Prentiss and Morgan; Rossi and Hotch bring up the rear. JJ walks to the front of the room and frowns.

"Where's Spencer?" No one has an answer. Well, no one except for Morgan.

"The kid's not here? Where's Garcia? That woman owes me twenty bucks!" Prentiss turns to him.

"You bet on Reid?" He shrugs.

"You make it sound like a bad thing. All I'm saying is...I knew it was eventual."

"What's eventual?" Garcia asks, walking into the room.

"Reid missed work. Pay up!" Morgan exclaims, grinning at her. She sighs and digs around in her pocket for a twenty. Rossi's staring at the pair like they're criminally insane.

"What are you talking about?"

"Can we focus here?" Hotch demands, shooting them a look. Morgan tucks the money into his pocket and folds his hands; the 'angel child'.

"What do you want?" Hotch asks Garcia.

"Hmm? Oh, I was wondering if you guys saw Reid this morning? I called to make sure he got home, but he didn't pick up." Rossi looks around.

"So he's been missing since yesterday? Who saw him last?" Garcia raises her hand tentatively.

"Actually, since this morning, sir? After you got back, I offered him a car ride home, but he told me he was gonna walk...so I let him."

"3 a.m. is not a good time to walk home," JJ says, shaking her head.

"Especially for Reid," Prentiss adds.

"For anybody," Morgan finishes.

"Has anyone tried to contact him recently?" Hotch asks. Apparently not. He pulls out his phone and dials. It goes straight to voicemail. Hanging up, he stands.

"Morgan, Rossi, go to his apartment and see if he's there. Look for anything out of place. Garcia, see if he's gone to Vegas, and check local e.r's. And JJ, you know what to do." She nods and exits the room. As everyone stands, Prentiss looks around.

"Why all this? What if he just overslept? Or he's sick?" Morgan shakes his head.

"Nah, this is Reid we're talking about. He just doesn't not show up."


	4. Chapter 4

Morgan and Rossi drive to Reid's apartment in silence. They think the same thing, though they both choose not to voice their thoughts.

'Please let him be in his apartment.' Rossi is wondering where he could have disappeared to, and Morgan is seriously considering smacking him upside the head when they find him. Though he doesn't want to admit it...the kid's got him worried. He's probably never missed a day of school in his life, let alone work. Morgan doesn't think Reid can take much more of this. They pull up to the apartment and sit for awhile. Neither one wants to enter. They don't want a confirmation of what they know to be true.

Garcia's search is over almost as soon as it's begun. She easily pulls up phone and credit card records, checks flight records, and calls the facility. The emergency room checks come next. They all yield the same result: negative. She calls Hotch to let him know. Leaning back in her chair, she closes her eyes and prays he's okay. She blames herself.

The phone rings, and Hotch grabs at it.

"Hello?" He's been expecting it. He hangs up and immediately dials another number.

"Jason? It's Aaron."

Present:

I look, and the world explodes. The sirens sound, too loud. Too many thoughts come rushing in. Too much. I raise my hands to my ears, and his hand darts out, grabs something. Our skin brushes, and I jerk back. In his hand is a hunting knife, slick with blood. But...it's not mine. I check anyway. My eyes run down my arms...

"Spencer?" My legs...

"Spencer? Can you look at me?" I rub my face.

"Reid?" I look at him with brand new eyes.

"Jason."

(Sorry this is so short. I just got an idea for the next part and ran with it, and ended up coming back here to fix the mess I made, resulting in this horribly short piece you just read in about two seconds. I promise the next post will be longer.)


	5. Chapter 5

(Author's note: Past will now be in italics, and present will be standard.)

_Past:_

_October 26_

_ I wake up, face pressed to cold stone. I start to think about where I am, but decide against it when I realize how much it hurts. I close my eyes and drift away, back to wherever I've been. When I open my eyes again, I see a pair of worn converse. I don't try to sit up; I just take deep breaths and force down my hysteria. His fingers grab the collar of my shirt, and I close my eyes as he yanks me up and throws me into a chair. It's awhile before I can open my eyes. I'm grateful for the fact that I'm seated. When my eyes do open, he's inches from my face, and I start, rocking back in the chair. He grins._

_ "A-Anthony?" He shakes his head._

_ "Anthony's not here right now." I continue my deep breathing. I can't say it's helping control my panic._

_ "W-who am I t-talking to?" I ask nervously, clearing my throat._

_ "Ray," he says. I gulp._

_ "R-Ray? So when does Anthony come back?" He shoves the chair back, and my head hits the wall. Everything goes red for a moment, and I try to put my head in my hands. Then I realize I can't; they're bound behind my back. My feet, too, are bound at the ankles. _

_ "I don't like Anthony, understand?" Ray hisses, balling his hands into fists._

_ "We're not gonna talk about him. Ever. Get it?" I nod quickly. I see the subtle (and not so subtle) changes between Anthony and Ray. The most obvious difference is their dress. Anthony's had been rigidly conservative, and his hair had been carefully gelled into place. He;d looked very academic and professional. Ray's dress is one of a fifteen year old boy's: scuffed converse, black jeans, and a gray t-shirt. His hair is spiked in a million different..that's as much thinking as I can manage. Between the total and complete aching of my body, and the drug induced cloud of fog that's hanging over my brain, I'm fortunate I can even think that much. Ray's gone over to a corner; his back turned to me. When he turns around, he's toying with a syringe. My blood turns to ice and freezes painfully in my veins._

_ "W-what's that?" I whisper, somehow knowing full well what he'll say. He doesn't answer, just gives me that grin. At once, my heart begins to hammer madly away. With each step, my memory flashes back. Tobias. The drugs. The torture. It's happening again. And I won't let it._

_Back at the BAU, JJ is preparing to file a missing persons report. She's on the phone when he walks past, tossing her a half-hearted wave. Confused, she stands in awe, unaware of the officer still talking into her ear. Shaking her head, she turns back to the phone._

_ "I..have to go. I'll be by later to-" She doesn't even finish the sentence, just throws the phone back on the hook and half runs the way he'd walked past._

_ "Gideon?"_


	6. Chapter 6

_He still knows his way around the BAU. After all, how could he ever forget? The door to Aaron's office is open and he walks in. Hanging up, Hotch stands._

_ "Jason." He nods silently back. They walk side by side to the conference room. Everyone is already waiting, Garcia included. They look startled to see him. He sits, looks at them all._

_ "Tell me everything."_

Present:

He half smiles at me.

"Yeah. How are you?" I shrug.

"I...I don't know. I'm...I'm thirsty, I guess?" The smile tugs at the corner of his face again.

"We'll get you something in a while, okay? I just want to talk." I watch him. Is he lying? Something inside me tells me he's lying. Then I'm ashamed. I shouldn't be thinking this. He repeats himself. I nod this time and look at his hand again. He's still holding the knife. He sees me looking at it and looks at it himself.

"I'm going to put this down, alright? We don't need it." I'm confused. I know I was holding it, but..

"Who's blood is it?"

"I don't know; I just got here. I was hoping you could tell me, Spencer." I shake my head.

"No, I wouldn't-" I look back at my hands. How could I have missed this before?

"Spencer?"

"Gregory did this." I rub my hands on my pants, but it won't come off. I rub harder.

"Who's Gregory?" I stop, look up at him, horrified.

"Me."

_Past:_

_October 27_

_ Garcia sits in her office and stares blankly at the computer screens. Nothing. Morgan raps on the door and then enters, sitting on the edge of the chair and putting an arm around her shoulders._

_ "Anything?" She just shakes her head. He takes her hand in his and runs his thumb over hers._

_ "You don't blame yourself for this, do you?" Garcia remains silent, blinking back her tears. Of course she does. She practically sees it on everyone's face every time she sees them. She should have insisted. After all, he's all of what, 90 pounds? 110 at the most? She could've carried the little beanpole to her car...Somehow, Morgan knows what she's thinking and pulls her into his lap, settling back in her chair._

_ "I could have taken him home, Morgan! I should have-" The rest of her words are lost as she buries her head in his chest and sobs. He rubs her back in slow circles and rests his head on top of hers._

_ "Nobody blames you, baby girl. He's gonna be fine. Just wait." He means to be strong, but the emotion in his voice breaks through. He doesn't trust his words._


	7. Chapter 7

_When I wake up again, I'm overcome with needs. Needs that surprise me in their mundane nature. Seeing as I wasn't tied to the chair, I wake up on the floor again. I hear movement, and I feign sleep, afraid of who I'll see. I hear his breathing as he crouches near me._

_ "Spencer? Are you awake?" I open my eyes and refrain from exhaling in relief._

_ "Anthony." He sighs and helps me sit up._

_ "Ray hurt you." I look up at him as he sets to work untying the ropes that bind my hands._

_ "You know about Ray?" He nods. I haven't had time to determine what brings on the switch, but I assume it's anxiety. When the ropes slacken, he sits back and watches me check my arms and legs. He frowns._

_ "Did he try to inject you with something?"_

_ "I...don't know...Anthony, could I...c-can I use the bathroom?"_

_ "Yes. Just let me undo your feet." I stumble when we begin to walk, but I quickly adjust. He leads me to a small room with a toilet and a sink. There's no door. I step back and look around, dually examining my surroundings and looking for a way out._

_ "Don't," Anthony pleads, "If you try to leave...he'll hurt you again." He speaks as if from experience. And judging from the heavy flashlight in his hands, I'd rather not test my luck. I turn my back on him (unwillingly), and use the bathroom, carefully washing my hands when I'm finished. I notice there's no mirror. Cupping my hands under the faucet, I take a drink. I'm no longer thirsty, but my stomach grumbles. I know better than to ask Anthony for anything. I splash my face with water and grip the basin to keep my balance. My thoughts make my knees tremble._

_ 'It's happening again,' I think, 'Tobias Hankel will never truly leave me.' When I close my eyes, all I can see is dirt. Shovels. I dug my own grave, once. I'm doing it again, staying here. Anthony is turned around, flashlight hitting his leg melodically. I consider fighting him. If I have the element of surprise...Ray will come back. If I somehow do manage to overcome him...I see no doors, no windows. I don't know where I am, or what time it is, or what day it is. I bow my head, thinking of what must be going on outside. Everything is missing from my pockets. I hate the idea of the team worrying about me when they should be worrying about cases. No doubt the cases they _should _be working on have been passed down, but they should still be focused on that, not me. I rest my head on the edge of the sink and feel the silent tears rnu down my face. I feel like I'm a freshman all over again._

_ "I want to go home," I whisper._


	8. Chapter 8

_ He leads me back to the corner, and I sit down, not meeting his eyes. He doesn't meet mine either._

_ "I...I need to chain you. I'm sorry." I'm done fighting. I look at him, though._

_ "Anthony, why am I here?" He chains my feet before answering._

_ "Ray wanted someone...to help.."_

_ "But why _me_?" He stops and looks at me._

_ "You're brilliant," he says simply. Anthony chains my arms next._

_ "C-can't you stop him? I could help you. We could-" _

_ "No, I can't stop him. Ray's got a plan. And he's going to execute it. When Ray's got an agenda, I disappear. I don't know if I'll ever see you again. You need to protect yourself...I know what you're thinking. Don't try to stop him, Spencer. That's not what I mean. You need to disappear yourself. If you fight back, you'll survive in the beginning. He'll only kill you in the end, though. Kill you or die trying."_

_ "...thank you for your help." JJ finishes her conference and exits the room. She almost collides with Garcia. They don't fall, but her papers do go flying. Garcia scoops them up and hands them back._

_ "What are you so excited about?" JJ asks, trying to straighten out the papers._

_ "Gideon said they found something! They're in the conference room!" She squeezes her hand before darting off again. JJ waits all of five seconds before sprinting after her._

_ Rossi is the last person in. He shuts the door behind him and takes a seat. Gideon throws four evidence bags on the table. Everyone leans in for a look. In them, respectively, are Reid's ID and security badge, his wallet, cell phone, and his satchel. _

_ 'That kid takes that thing everywhere,' Rossi thinks. Morgan had pointed out it's absence when they'd checked the apartment._

_ "This was found in a dumpster fifty blocks from here. As far as we know, nothing is missing," Hotch announces. Prentiss picks up the bag containing the cell phone and turns it over several times._

_ "Are we sure he was abducted?" Everyone stares at her. She puts the bag down._

_ "I mean, did they find any other prints on anything?"_

_ "No," Gideon speaks up, "Just Spencer's. This wasn't about robbery; hence the reason why everything ended up dumped in the trash."_

_ "Where there any security cameras that might have caught something nearby? Or any footage from the ones on the apartment?" Rossi asks._

_ "Garcia's running through it," Hotch says. Garcia speaks._

_ "There were four cameras that may have picked things up. So far, nothing. And the ones on the apartment show...he never showed up." They nod._

_ "Whoever this was, they didn't want his stuff. They wanted him," Morgan concludes._

_ "This isn't random. Reid is brilliant. Turned against us, he could very well be our worst nightmare." With that, Gideon leaves._

_ "Turned against us? You don't think-" Rossi cuts JJ off._

_ "We don't know what to think. We know that whoever his abductor is, he took him for a reason. He wants us to know that. He'll only let us know what he wants known. We'll know when it starts." No one wants to fathom what 'it' will be. _


	9. Chapter 9

Present:

Hotch walks over to speak with the police. A soon s they had arrived, JJ had gone to head off the press. Rossi, Morgan, and Prentiss have been standing, watching. They watch as Gideon sits across from Reid and puts the knife down on the ground. Prentiss eyes the body a few yards away.

"Is that Ray?"

"We think so," Rossi says, not taking his eyes from Gideon and Reid. Morgan is oblivious to their conversation. He's watching Reid. Closely.

'That just doesn't look like him,' he continues to think, 'I know he couldn't have killed those people.' Something inside him is trying to force him to believe it, but he can't. He'll die first.

_Past_

_October 28_

_ He returns. Anthony was right; he's gone. Possibly for good. It's Ray who kneels near me this time. I don't look at him._

_ "Did Anthony untie you?" I don't answer. He grabs my face and turns it towards him. I draw in a pained breath._

_ "Let's get something straight right now, okay? When I talk to you, you'd better make damn sure you answer me? Got it?" he growls. I nod and fight the urge to whimper. When he lets go, I can still feel his hands on my jaw._

_ "Now, did Anthony untie you?" I begin to nod, then stop myself and speak._

_ "Yes." He stands and walks away._

_ "Why?"_

_ "I...I asked to use the bathroom?" I tell him. When he turns back around, he's cleaning the blade of a hunting knife. I can't help it; I shudder. _

_ "You asked to use the bathroom. What did he tell you about me?" When I don't answer right away, he looks up and grins._

_ "He tell you about me? About how dangerous I am?"_

_ "Y-yes. He says...he says you have a plan..." He laughs, and it's a haunting one. One I know I'll never get out of my head._

_ "Says I've got a plan, does he?" Ray puts the knife away and looks at me._

_ "Yes..he says..he says he disappears?" He nods._

_ "Damn right he does. I don't need his do-right ass fucking up my plans." I clear my throat._

_ "W-what are those plans?" he snorts._

_ "I'm not gonna tell you," he says, "But I'll tell Gregory." I'm confused. Has he taken someone else?_

_ "Who's Gregory?"_

_ "You know." I don't._

***Author's note* So...this is really short. I'm sorry. Once again, I've gotten a brilliant idea and I'm trying to write it up...but be warned; I'm terrible at fight scenes. Anyways, thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed this so far. It makes me feel good :)***


	10. Chapter 10

_ You'd think my wrists would be thin enough to slip through the cuffs. Not true. I've tried. Countless times. I'm trying now. He's watching me. I finally decide to give up. He laughs. I close my eyes._

_ "I'll make you a deal," he offers, "I'll take those off for you. You can stay uncuffed, and you can have this," he shows me a bottle of water and a stack of wrapped sandwiches, "And I'll let you come with me..if Gregory will fight me...and win." The food reminds me of how hungry I am. I blink, thinking I may have misunderstood him._

_ "Excuse me?"_

_ "You heard me. I want Gregory to fight me." Gregory. Again._

_ "I don't know who Gregory is, Ray," I tell him. He shakes his head._

_ "Don't play dumb with me, Spencer. I know all about you, okay? And you ain't no dumb shit, either." I stare at him. He begins to pace, ticking things off on his fingers._

_ "Dr. Spencer Reid. You are currently employed by the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit. Graduated from Las Vegas Public High School at age 12. Your mother, Dia-"_

_ "Okay!" I interrupt. I don't want him talking about her. I haven't thought about her yet. They haven't told her. They probably won't unless they have to. He flashes me his predatory grin and walks over to remove the cuffs. I flinch as his hands brush my skin._

_ "Get up," he commands when he's finished. It take several tries before I do. I lean against the wall for support. Suddenly, his fist shoots out and catches me in the stomach. As the air is knocked out of my lungs, I struggle to catch my breath and stay standing. As I'm recovering, he lands a punch to my jaw that nearly shatters it._

_ "Defend yourself!" Ray shouts, shoving me so hard my head hits the wall. My vision sways. He pulls me back up with enough force to break several bones in my arms. The weak fight I put up does nothing to protect me. I simply cover my face and pray it'll be over soon. It's not. Ray grabs me by the collar and throws me headlong into the workbench. My eyes franticly scan it for something, anything, to use against him, but the knife is missing, and there's nothing else here. I feel him grab at me again, and I latch onto the bench, hoping he won't be able to drag me away. He does anyway, easily, and drops me to the ground, kicking me with the sharp toes of his workboots. I find myself starting to float away. It doesn't hurt so much anymore. He pulls me up by my hair and smashes my face into the wall. I'm sure I'm bleeding somewhere, but suddenly it doesn't really matter..._

_ "When I'm through with you, Tobias Hankel will seem like a fucking saint," Ray hisses, shoving me to the ground again. I come back. Something snaps. I'm done playing the victim._

***Told you I'm horrible at writing fight scenes...this one's only half over.***


	11. Chapter 11

_ Gregory rushes at Ray and shoves him with both hands. He flies backwards and hits the wall. Gregory knows the impact knocks the wind from him. He grabs him, kicking, and drags him to the bathroom where he bangs Ray's head against the steel sink again and again and again. He seriously considers drowning him, then decides against it and throws him out, back onto the wide open floor. But Ray is standing, waiting for him when he comes out. They launch themselves at each other, landing punches wherever they can. Ray takes Gregory down and pummels him repeatedly with his fists. Gregory kicks upwards and leaves Ray sprawling. Pinning him down, Gregory punches Ray's face until his hands come away bloody. Ray laughs and licks his bleeding lip._

_ "You'll come with me." Gregory pushes himself away from him._

_ "Damn right."_

_ The other phone call Hotch has been dreading finally comes in. It was never a question of 'if'; it was always a question of 'when'. _

_ "Agent Hotchner, I'll need to see you in my office." Her voice is frigid. _

_ "Yes ma'am." He controls himself and settles for placing the phone back on the hook instead of sending it sailing through a window. He considers doing it anyway. Then he considers not going. He sighs and stands. He knows he'll go. He has to._

_ Her door is closed. He knocks._

_ "Come in." She can't say that without sounding like someone's shoving an icicle up her ass? Hotch grins at the thought, then composes himself and enters. She sets aside her paperwork and folds her hands, staring him down as he takes a seat. It's a awhile before she speaks. She's waiting for the right moment._

_ 'She's got a flare for the dramatics,' he thinks, 'And I do not have time for it.'_

_ "Dr. Reid has not reported for work in four days. Is this correct?"_

_ "Yes ma'am." He knows this is coming, yet it still surprises him when she says it._

_ "Am I correct in assuming that you have not found a replacement?" She says this with no emotion._

_ "With all due respect, a federal agent is missing. The team and I are doing our best to work with the local authorities to find him-" _

_ "I realize this, Agent Hotchner. You have not answered my question, however. Have you or have you not found a suitable replacement for Dr. Reid?" Hotch draws in a breath to keep from doing what he very much wants to do. Suddenly, his cell phone rings. It's Morgan. Sighing in relief, he answers, ignoring the daggers shooting from Strauss's eyes._

_ "What happened?"_

_ "Garcia turned up a few images from the security cameras."_

_ "I'll be right there," he says. He turns to Strauss._

_ "There's been a development," He leaves._

_ "This is far from over, Agent Hotchner!" she exclaims. As he refrains from slamming the door, he knows she's right. He storms past Rossi and Prentiss on the way to Garcia. Prentiss turns to Rossi._

_ "Whoa. What just happened?" He half grins._

_ "That's a Strauss face."_


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm going to try to explain everything so no one's confused. I re-read what I wrote, and it is confusing. Paragraphs in italics are the past, and the ones written in regular type are the present. Reid was kidnaped by Anthony. Anthony has DID, which is Dissociative Indentity Disorder, or Multiple Personality Disorder. His alter's name is Ray. Ray is the violent one who abuses Reid. Because Reid has suffered so much mental and physical trauma, this time when he's pushed to the edge, he develops another personality to protect himself. His alter's name is Gregory. So, when I go to the past and talk about Gregory and Ray in the third person, that's because it's in Gregory's point of view. I hope I didn't just confuse anyone else. **

_ Everyone is packed into Garcia's office. She takes a deep breath._

_ "Okay, can everyone take a step back and stop breathing?" she asks, only half joking._

_ "Garcia," Hotch warns._

_ "Sorry," she mutters._

_ "He just came from Strauss's lair-I mean, office," Morgan whisper in her ear._

_ "Oh. That's enough to make anyone jump off a bridge," she laughs, then sobers up as the footage appears on the screen._

_ "Okay. I pulled this from a drug store camera about 10 feet from the dumpster. She hits play, remembering the way her heart had jumped when she'd seen his shadow._

_ JJ gasps._

_ "Spence," she murmurs, fighting the urge to reach out and touch the screen. Hotch places a hand on her shoulder for a moment before stepping forward._

_ "Anything else after this?" Garcia shakes her head._

_ "Camera cuts off before the dumpster, and because the dumpster itself is in the alley, there's no video there. I had to clean it up a lot just to get this much."_

_ "Is there anyone else in any of the frames?" Rossi asks. Garcia shakes her head. JJ sits heavily in a chair and sighs._

_ "He never made it home," she whispers._

_ "'Fraid not, sweetie," Garcia tells her, reaching out and grabbing her hand. They see each other's hurt and guilt mirrored in each other's eyes. Prentiss has long ago given up suggesting he'd just taken off, but Morgan's mind has wandered back to that idea._

_ "Is it possible he just took off?" he asks. He knows it isn't._

_ "For the last time; no. You of all people should know that, Morgan," Hotch says._

_ "He knew," Rossi points out. Everyone turns to him._

_ "He knew where the cameras stopped and started. He knew how far they went. He knew Spencer's route home. He'd followed him. He planned this. Carefully. Every detail._

Present

Diana curls up, biting her nails to the quick. She's been denying the orderly's requests for her to eat. She hasn't taken her medicine in days. Of course, no one knows of the latter. The volume of the TV is almost at zero; she needs to watch as much as she can before she's caught. She ignores the pictures flashing across the screen and concentrates on the subtitles.

"...have claimed 16 victims. One half of the team, known only as Ray, is dead by the hand of his partner, known publicly as Gregory. We have news that 'Gregory' is, in fact, missing FBI agent Dr. Spencer Reid..." There. She has it. Proof. Validation. Assurance. She closes her eyes. She wanted this. Does she feel any better? No. Does she still want it? What she wants is Spencer. She wants her little boy back.

Gideon doesn't look surprised, but he repeats what I've just said.

"You're Gregory." It isn't a question. I shut my eyes against the thousands of images that flood my mind and nod.

"Can you help me understand, Spencer? When did you first meet Gregory?" I try to concentrate, but I find myself slipping.

"In October." He nods.

"Okay. That's good. That's a start. Do you remember how it happened?"

"Are you...am I being interrogated?" When he doesn't answer, I know I am.

"If you want, we can wait. But Spencer, I'll have to do it sometime. You'll have to tell me. But we can wait." I bite my tongue as Gregory fights to say something. Not trusting him (or myself, for that matter) I just nod. And then I see the rest of the team.


	13. Chapter 13

**So, not that anyone really cares or anything, but I did manage to survive freshman orientation. I'm just hoping I don't die when we have a full day tomorrow. I'm gonna try to keep the updates as consistent as possible.**

_Past_

_October 29_

_ Last night, Gregory had limped to the bathroom after Ray's attack. He'd cleaned up as best he could, then he sat down and ate. Everything. Then he'd fallen asleep. Now, Gregory is sitting, back against the wall, enjoying his (almost) freedom and examining his battle scars. He feels for the bruises that he knows have formed across his face. He thinks his nose is broken, but finds it intact, just bruised. Same story with his ribs, arms, and legs. This knowledge satisfies him, but it doesn't take away the soreness. Or the slight limp. He'll be over it soon. Gregory is strong. But Reid keeps pushing at his mind, trying to make his way through. He won't allow it. Reid can go to hell. Reid is weak; he can't defend himself. He's been taken hostage, abused...not anymore. Gregory is stronger than he will ever be. But this doesn't make the probing go away. With clenched teeth, he bows his head and squeezes his eyes shut, trying to shut Reid up. Ray appears and takes him in._

_ "Trying to control him? Concentrate. It'll take time, but by now Anthony doesn't even try." Gregory looks up. Having no idea what he himself must look like, he assumes Ray bears the brunt of their battle. Just looking at him starts the adrenaline pumping in his veins. He's excited just remembering the fight. Reid interrupts his thoughts. Gregory growls. Then, grudgingly, he tries it Ray's way. _

_ 'Alright, listen up, 'cause I'm only gonna say this once. Stay the fuck outta my head. I don't need you interrupting me every two seconds. Got it?' He feels like a moron, talking to himself. But Reid doesn't respond. It's like he suddenly isn't there anymore. He sighs in relief. Ray tosses him a cocky grin. _

_ "Told you." Gregory flips him off._

_ There's been no news since the security camera film. Strauss continues to press Hotch to select a replacement and refocus their efforts on other cases. She threatens that if he won't do it, she will. Once again, he leaves her office, blood pressure up 100,000 points (slight guestimation) more than it had been when he'd entered. He goes straight to Morgan._

_ "Anything?" Hotch shakes his head. Morgan sighs and looks back at his papers._

_ "Strauss wants me to pick a replacement for Reid. And she wants us to drop the case." Morgan's eyes grow wide and he drops his pen._

_ "Tell me you're kidding." He's not. He sighs._

_ "That woman must be out of her damn mind! How can she expect us to just drop the case? This is Reid! And a replacement? Don't even-"_

_ "Morgan," Hotch warns quietly. He doesn't get the hint and continues to rant._

_ "Morgan," he tries again, looking behind him. Morgan gets the hint._

_ "Uh...hi, Director?" If this wasn't so serious, Hotch would have considered laughing. Morgan looks like a little kid who's just gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar. She stares at the pair, stony faced. _

_ "You have a week. Seven days. if you do not have a very solid, very substantial handle on this case by then, someone will take Dr. Reid's position, and someone will be suspended. Is that understood?" _

_ "Yes, ma'am," they reply, feeling as if they're children._

_ "Good." She leaves. Hotch looks at Morgan._

_ "We'd better work harder." Morgan whistles._

_ "Oh yeah."_


	14. Chapter 14

Present

Jason follows my gaze.

"Does everyone...know?" I whisper.

"Know what, Reid?"

"About...Gregory?" He hesitates. Finally,

"No more than I do right now." I nod, continuing to stare. What must they think of me? They have to believe I didn't do it. Not really. It wasn't me. It was Gregory. Gregory and Ray. I was trapped. Everyone but Morgan meets my eyes.

Morgan freezes when Reid catches his eye. Quickly, he looks away, immediately remorseful.

'Why can't I look at him?' he demands of himself, 'He's just a kid. It's Reid. Awkward, quiet, too-damn-smart Reid.' So why can't he look at him that way anymore?

_Past_

_October 30_

_ Ray brings Gregory food. This time it's pizza and beer. He doesn't complain. He can't help but notice that Ray seems overly excited about something; he's behaving like a child._

_ "What the hell are you so happy about?" he finally demands. Ray grins._

_ "We're going out tomorrow. I'm finally gonna go get your clothes and shit tonight." Gregory stares at him._

_ "You think I can't buy me own clothes?"_

_ "With what money, dumbass?" he growls. Gregory jumps forward and pins Ray to the ground. Laughing, Ray kicks him off and stands. Gregory grins and goes back to his food._

_ "Reid's probably been reported missing," Ray reminds him, "So we'll have to do something about your hair...and your clothes." Reid appears in his mind again. Gregory bites his tongue in concentration, trying to keep Reid out. When he gets rid of him, he's missed whatever Ray was going on about._

_ "What?"_

_ "You. Him. Spencer."_

_ "Oh. Whatever," Gregory tosses a bottle cap at Ray._

_ "You gonna tell me about your plan?"_

_ "When I get back. Don't wait up."_

_ Gregory almost doesn't. He's almost asleep when Ray appears; wet, wild, and wicked._

_ "What the fuck did you do? I thought you were going shopping, not hunting!" Gregory exclaims, taking in his state. Ray's grin is feral._

_ "I got your shit. It's upstairs. Take a look at this!" He shoves a camera into Gregory's face and turns it on. He should find the image disturbing, harrowing, even. He knows he should feel sick and push the camera away. So why does he continue to flip through the pictures? Why does the initial feeling of shock wear off and become one of amazement and reverence? Why is he suddenly as excited as Ray had been?_

_"How did you do this?"_

_ Morgan, like everyone else, works through his lunch break. Eating isn't an option. He has too much to think about; too many decisions to make. He's got six days left to quite literally pull something about the case out of his ass. They've got nothing to go on, and neither do the police. Garcia has gone over the tape so many times that she's got the images internalized, frame by frame. The police, Hotch, and JJ have been through Spencer's apartment multiple times, though it's pointless; he'd never gone home that night. Morgan looks away from the computer and leans back, rubbing his eyes._

_'Come on, pretty boy,' he thinks, 'Where'd you go?"_


	15. Chapter 15

Present

Garcia dials Morgan's cell from her office and prays he answers. From what's playing on tv, it looks like the police and Reid are in a stalemate. Gideon seems to be the go-between.

"Come on," she urges the phone, drumming the tabletop impatiently.

"Garcia?" She all but collapses in relief.

"How is he?"

"Are you watching?"

"Yeah." A slight pause.

"Then you know." This is the most conventional conversation the pair has ever exchanged. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Is he coming back here?" she asks.

"I...I don't know. Hotch is working on it. Garcia.." She knows he has to go.

"Go," she tells him.

"Okay." Hesitant.

"Derek?"

"Yeah?"

"Be strong." They disconnect.

"Baby boy," she whispers, touching the screen, "What did they do to you?"

For possibly the first time in his career, Jason has no idea what to think. He doesn't know what to say next, or what to do. This is unprecedented. He watches as Reid hangs his head and cries. He wants to reach out, to hold him, to tell him it will be okay. But he knows better. Gregory is dangerously unstable. Jason doesn't want them to hurt Reid for something Gregory will do. As it is...as it is, Reid will be lucky if he doesn't receive the death penalty. And that hurts Jason. Deeply. He studies Spencer's face. He looks past the bruises and cars that stain his skin. He still sees the innocence, the awkwardness. He doesn't see Gregory. He doesn't even see Dr. Spencer Reid. No, all Jason sees is an innocent victim.

_Past_

_October 31_

_Ray brings Gregory two duffle bags and a plastic bag from the drug store. He catches the duffles when Ray tosses them. He hands Gregory the plastic bag and tells him to go clean up. Emptying the plastic bag, he sees it contains a mirror, shampoo, soap, a toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, a comb, and hair dye. Blonde. He holds up the mirror and examines his face. His bruises are a nasty mix between purple-blue and yellow. He grimaces and strips, washing up. He dresses and puts on the deodorant. He's opted for a pair of dark jeans and a grey t-shirt. Brushing his teeth, his mind wanders to where they'll be going tonight. Hell, he doesn't give a shit, as long as it's not here. He doesn't even know where they are now, anyway. Bending over the sink, he washes out his hair and applies the hair dye. When he's finished, he rinses again and dries his hair with a dirty shirt he's been wearing for a week. Grabbing the comb and leaning over the mirror, he combs his hair forwards. The ends just brush his eyelids. He wipes the water droplets away from the mirror and peers down into it. Right before his breath fogs up the glass, he catches sight of his eyes._

_ 'A completely different person,' he thinks, laughing._

**A blonde Spencer Reid? 0_o. Betcha didn't even notice the new summary, did you? Character death. Don't worry, it's not Reid. I'm not even sure I'll follow through with the death. But blame my friend Colleen...**


	16. Chapter 16

_ Shoving the plastic bag into the duffle, he exits the bathroom and finds Ray cleaning the knife again._

_ "You used that yesterday?"_

_ "Yeah. Here." He tosses it. Gregory takes it and turns it over. It's heavy, and the blade is sharp. It slices the skin on his thumb. Cleaning the knife on his pants, he rubs the thin ribbon of blood on the ground. He closes it up and underhands it back. Ray tucks it into the pocket of his jeans._

_ "Alright, now tell me your fucking plan before I gotta beat it outta you," Gregory demands. Ray shoves the camera into his back pocket._

_ "Alright, look. Tonight's Halloween. We'll.."_

_ An hour and a half later, the pair have developed their plan. Ray had presented his idea, and Gregory's genius perfected it. Hauling the bags over his shoulder, he follows Ray to the bathroom. Grinning, Ray pushes a button on the wall and the door opens up. He stares, slack jawed._

_ "That's where it was?"_

_ "How the hell did you think I was getting in?" Gregory shoves him through the door._

_ "Fuck you."_

_ Keep your head down," Ray warns, "Remember, they're looking for you," he jams a baseball cap over his newly dyed hair and whistles, "Blonde is not your color." Gregory pops him one in the mouth._

_ "Shut up. Where the hell are we, anyway?"_

_ "Florida."_

_ "Florida? You know how long it takes to get there?" Ray digs his elbow into Gregory's back._

_ "Don't be so damn loud! Yes I know how long it takes; I drove it! You were out cold, man. The whole time." They reach the car. There's nothing about it that makes it stand out, and there's nothing about it that hides it. It's perfectly nondescript. They climb in and head towards the city. They'll take their first victim as a team tonight. After all, it is Halloween._

Present

Negotiating with the police isn't going well for Hotch. At first, the chief's orders had been,

"As soon as you have a clear shot, take it." Hotch had barely managed to convince him to change the message to,

"Wait until you recieve my orders." He isn't about to lose Reid. Not after they've found him.

"You do know we're taking him in, correct?" Hotch snaps back to attention.

"We'd prefer to take him in ourselves."

"I don't think so."

"We have precedence-"

"You were invited on this case, you can easily be-"

"Enough. The FBI will take it from here." Hotch turns.

"Director?"

_Past_

_November 1_

_ Garcia moves as if in a trance._

_ "Penelope?" She doesn't hear. He calls several more times before he gives up and taps her on the shoulder. Her coffee goes flying, and he grabs it before it hits the ground. She whirls around._

_ "What the hell is wrong with you?" she yells. He hands her the coffee, along with the two folders he'd brought, hastily apologizing._

_ "I'm sorry. I just have something that I thought you might find interesting." She flips open the first folder and winces, slamming it shut._

_ "What would I want this for?"_

_ "Well, the murders have the same MO-" She hands the folders back._

_ "I don't know what they told you down there, but I work with computers?" she says slowly, mocking him._

_ "And the handwriting matches Dr. Reid's," he continues as if she hadn't interrupted him. Shocked, she grabs the folders back. This time the coffee does spill. She doesn't care. Penelope Garcia is a woman on a mission._


	17. Chapter 17

_ She rushes back to her office and drops the folders onto her chair. She dials Morgan in record time._

_ "My office. Now. Hurry!" Then she begins digging through her papers._

_ "It's here somewhere...I know it is.." She mutters, throwing useless papers aside. Morgan appears at the door._

_ "Help me. Look for a piece of paper with Morse code on it!" she barks. He sets to work._

_ "What are you-"_

_ "No talking! Find the paper!" It isn't long before she finds it. Plopping into the chair, she grabs the folder and flips to the picture._

_ "Now are you gonna tell me why you're freakin' out in here?" Morgan asks, leaning over her shoulder. She shoves the two documents under his nose._

_ "Do these look similar to you?" Before he can answer, she rushes to the scanner and heads back to the computer as the papers show up onscreen. Morgan is completely lost._

_ "Spencer usually does this, but with a little magic of the internet.." The computer gives a happy beep._

_ "It matches," she says in wonder. She turns to face Morgan. She doesn't know if she should be horrified or happy._

_ Morgan calls the team back to Garcia's office. This time she doesn't complain about the lack of air. Excitedly, she begins to explain what she's uncovered. She pulls up the Morse code paper onscreen._

_ "Reid wrote this out forever and a half ago when we ended up in some stupid argument about an episode of NCIS: L.A. I won that argument, even thou-"_

_ "Garcia," Jason chides._

_ "Right. Sorry. Anyway, this is the alphabet in Morse code in his handwriting-"_

_ "Why is this important?" Hotch breaks in._

_ "I was just getting there. Now this," she pulls up the picture from the case file, "Got handed up to me this morning by one of Strauss's minion's minion." Everyone involuntarily jumps at the picture._

_ "A blonde woman, about 25ish, was killed by multiple stab wounds to the stomach...and her throat was slit." JJ turns away._

_ "I think I know where you're going...please..." Garcia nods sadly and clicks forward to a close up of the deceased woman's stomach. Scrawled into her skin with the blade of a knife are a dash, dash, a dot, and a dash. She runs the handwriting through her software again. The computer beeps._

_ "It's a positive match," Hotch says._

_ "When did this happen?" Rossi and Jason demand._

_ "Yesterday. 11;30. Miami, Florida."_

_ "Are you saying Spencer did this?" Prentiss asks in disbelief. JJ stumbles, and Morgan catches her. Whispering in his ear, he leads her outside._

_ "Be ready to leave in 20," Hotch announces. They start to go._

_ "Sir? You don't...Reid couldn't have done this?" Garcia calls out. No one answers._


	18. Chapter 18

_ JJ assures Morgan that she can walk and goes outside. She sits on the steps and takes a shaky breath. She doesn't close her eyes; the pictures just come back. She hears Garcia saying it all over again._

_ "It's a positive match." Positive match. Spencer's handwriting matches the Morse code on the woman's body. The dead woman's body. She'd been stabbed. Multiple times. And her throat had been slit. A half-choked sob escapes, and JJ presses her hand over her mouth...Reid isn't capable. It's not possible. Her mind wildly searches for a better memory. When it finds one, she latches onto it for dear life. The Date. Notoriously referred to as The Secret Date or The Event by everyone in the office. She's never told anyone what had happened, and neither had Spencer._

_'He'd said he'd pick her up at 6:30. Just as the clock turned 6:29, her doorbell had rung. She grinned and opened it._

_ "Uh...hi?"_

_ "Hey. Come in." She'd had to pull him inside herself. She looks him over._

_ "Tell me you're not wearing that." He looked down at his clothes._

_ "What's wrong with him?"_

_ "You look like you're going to work!"_

_ "So?" She laughed and held out her hand._

_ "Keys." Reluctantly, he handed them over._

_ "Come on." He followed her out._

_ "Where are we going?"_

_ "You'll see."_

_ They ended up at the mall._

_ "We're going to be late to the-"_

_ "Forget the game. You're going shopping." Reid blanched._

_ "Shopping? I don't-"_

_ "Shop here? Shop at all? I know. That's why I'm helping you." She grabbed his hand and pulled him into American Eagle, ignoring his questions._

_ "What size are you?"_

_ "Uh.." JJ laughs and ducks behind him, pulling on the waistband on his pants._

_ "Hey!" He tried to fight her off, but she won. Armed with his size, she began to pull jeans and cargo shorts from the racks, tossing them over her shoulder at him. He barely caught them and read the labels._

_ "Skinny jeans? Straight leg? What's the difference? And why do these have holes in the knees?" Reid asked, trying to look around the growing mountain of pants he was carrying. JJ ignored him and picked out some t-shirts and button downs. Adding them to the top of the pile, she shoved him towards the dressing room. He banged around for a few moments._

_ "JJ, they're too tight."_

_ "No, Spence, those are called skinny jeans. Put on a shirt and get out here!" The door cracked open a half-inch, and he peered through at her._

_ "JJ?"_

_ "Yeah?"_

_ "I can't come out."_

_ "Why not?"_

_ "Because..." She sighed good naturedly._

_ "Okay, move over. I'm coming in."_


	19. Chapter 19

_**Sorry I haven't updated in forever and a half. Literally. My internet broke, and I think my high school is trying to kill me. Stay with me here, people. I promise I won't give up on this story if you don't. Please keep R&Ring so I know I have an audience out there somewhere.**_

_The two barely fit. Reid was uncomfortable being so close. JJ thought his awkwardness was cute._

_ "Those look good on you," she said, tugging on his shirt sleeve. In dark blue skinny jeans and a red and white plaid button down, Reid looked his age._

_ "Here, just let me-" She mussed his hair so it fell over his eyes. They stopped and looked at each other for a moment. Their lips were inches apart. They held their breath. Then,_

_ "Come on, let's get you some shoes."_

_ They bought everything and went back to JJ's. They were missing the game, but neither really cared. After some coaxing, she had managed to convince him to stay for ice cream. They'd both agreed to let everyone think whatever they wanted. The truth would never be as fun as something Morgan and Garcia had made up. Two dirty minds+ coffee and an empty office always equaled bad news. Especially when the dirty minds were Morgan's and Garcia's. Though simple, it was one of the best nights they'd ever had.'_

_ JJ smiles sadly at the memory and wipes at her eyes. She'd give anything to have life return to normal. She doesn't understand what's happening, and she doesn't know what will happen next._

_ "We're leaving now," Hotch says softly from behind her. She nods and takes the hand he's offered her._

Present

Strauss offers a wan smile and returns her gaze/glare to the officer in charge.

"Who are you? I would love to see some-"

"Identification?" She flashes him her ID. He immediately backs down. Hotch knows better than to ask any questions. He simply turns back around and watches Gideon and Reid. For once, maybe, Strauss is on their side.

JJ walks away, back turned to the press. She's said everything she's been authorized to say; she's said everything she can without losing control. Because right now, that's all she wants to do. She just wants to sit down and cry. But she can't. She needs to be strong. But for who? Certainly not herself. For Spencer, maybe. She's told the press exactly what she'd been told to. She's closed her heart and mind to the words she's said. She reminds herself that Spencer hasn't done this. It was Gregory. Gregory and Ray.

_Past_

_November 2_

_Hotch closes his eyes and leans back in his seat. He and the team are en route to Miami. They should have left yesterday, but Strauss had pulled rank at the last moment and threatened to break up the team if he didn't stay until today. He'd argued back, stating that she'd wanted a lead, and Garcia had gotten them one. She cited some legality that prohibited them to go, and they hadn't gone. Thankfully, the powers that be had pulled rank on her (a good thing; the team was ready to take her down. Hard.) and allowed them to go today. Everyone's had a look at the case file. They don't discuss it. They just sit in silence. And think._


	20. Chapter 20

_ Prentiss sits, her hands so unused to being idle. Usually she argues with Morgan while beating Reid and rendering him permanently confused in cards. She feels the absence of his presence on the jet. He usually talks. And if he isn't talking, he's reading. Reading or playing cards/chess. Everything about this feels wrong to her. Reid should be here with them. They should be heading to a crime scene somewhere, suspecting someone other than Spencer. But...he's not here. And they do suspect Reid. On one hand, she's happy. The handwriting is a definite match, meaning that Spencer is alive. On the other, she's scared and unsure as hell. Because if the handwriting does really match (and she knows it does), then it means that Reid killed her. And Reid doesn't kill people. Hell, he barely even argues. She can't help but think what everyone's thinking. _

_ 'What happened?'_

_**(To be perfectly honest, I have no clue how any of this goes down; I'm not a profiler, or a police officer, or a person with basic knowledge about how all of this happens, no matter how much I watch Criminal Minds. So please forgive my sure to be numerous mistakes in all of the following.)**_

_ The team breaks up._

_ "Because we're late, the body's been moved. We've got pictures and reports. Rossi, Gideon, and Prentiss, go talk with the victim's family. JJ, head to the police department. Morgan, R-...Morgan and I will go to the crime scene," Hotch rushes. Everyone completes the word in their head. Reid._

_ Morgan knows they're at a great disadvantage here, being so late. The body's been moved, the crime scene has been trampled..they'll be lucky if they can get anything at all from it. They'll go see the body next; then reconvene and try to create a profile. He doesn't think about what the profile will reveal. Hotch meets with the officer and passes the photos he's just recieved along to Morgan. He walks away from them and looks through the pictures. He flips through most of them before he finds it. He looks again to be sure. He hadn't recognized it when he'd seen and heard it in Garcia's office before, but now he knows he's seen this before. And if he's right..._

_ "Hotch! I need to see the body!" Morgan calls. Hotch walks over._

_ "See something?"_

_ "Yeah."_

_ "Okay. I checked it out. She was killed right through those trees. He chose the woods for secrecy." _


	21. Chapter 21

_**I keep saying I'm going to update everyday, and then I don't. Because you know what I do everyday? I wake up, go to school, go home, do homework, eat dinner, do homework. Literally. It's all I do anymore. Reviews make going to school worth it. Well, almost. Anyway, did anyone see Criminal Minds yesterday? I actually watched TV for the first time in like a week...I'm so happy I did. I'm excited for the next episode and sad at the same time. I love JJ and she will be dearly missed3 **_

_The mother is hysterical. The father attempts to comfort her, though he's barely holding it together himself. The girl's sister, about fifteen, sits across the room, scowling at the group. He's been in this situation countless times before. Why is this time different? He knows they'll question them together first, then separately. Then they'll take what they've got and add it to what everyone else has gathered. When they've got enough information, they'll create a profile and present it to the police. All been done before. But it's different. Rossi takes a deep breath._

_ "Let's begin," he says._

_ "I'm terribly sorry for your loss," Prentiss offers. The girl scoffs, and the father sends her a withering look._

_ "Thank you. What can we do to help?" he asks. His wife is quickly approaching a breakdown._

_ "Here, why don't I get you something?" Prentiss suggests, helping her up and accompanying her to the kitchen, exchanging a nod with Gideon and Rossi._

_ "Now, your daughter was...found in a field just outside of a cemetery. Do you know why that might be?" Gideon asks._

_ "Um..well...it was halloween, right? She had she was going into town with her friends to watch Saw. The theater was running some type of special. She left..she left at nine. She never came home."_

_ "Was Kate the type of girl to run off by herself? Or follow someone into the woods?" Rossi questioned, knowing the man would take offense._

_ "I don't know where you're going with this, but my Katie was not some common whore!"_

_ "No, no, of course not. We're just trying to figure out why she would have left the group. What kind of girl was your daughter?" Gideon assures him. He takes a breath. They can see that he'll reach the breaking point soon._

_ "She has...she had a few close friends. She's...she was a good girl, did good in school and didn't give us any trouble."_

_ "Was she dating anyone?" Rossi inquired. The father shook his head. _

_ "Something had to have made her leave her friends," Gideon murmurs._

_Prentiss had given the mother a cup of coffee and sat down across from her at the table. Now, she almost seems somewhere near stable._

_ "Go on, ask your questions," she finally says. Emily gives her a small, sad smile._

_ "Was Katie the kind of person that was where she said she was going to be? Did she ever break curfew?"_

_ "Kates doesn't...didn't go out all that much. When she does...did...this is just so hard," she whispers into her coffee. Prentiss places her hand over the older woman's. She looks up._

_ "Do you have children, Agent Prentiss?"_

_ "Do you mind if I take a look in your daughter's room?" Rossi asks. The man closes his eyes and sighs brokenly._

_ "I guess not. I'll take you now." Soon, it's just Gideon and the girl. They look at each other; her, sizing him up; him, figuring her out. Finally, he offers his hand._

_ "I'm Jason." She stares at it for a moment before accepting it._

_ "Jessica."_

_ "Jessica. Okay. I'm sorry about Kate." She shrugs._

_ "Isn't everybody?" Gideon studies her for a moment._

_ "You're tired of hearing that, huh? None of it will bring her back." He's not being rude; he's just being brutally honest. She nods. They sit in silence before she speaks again._

_ "Okay. I'll tell you what you need to know. Just promise not to tell my parents."_


	22. Chapter 22

_The ME lets them in and Morgan looks closer to confirm what he already knows. Hotch sees it too. "Hesitation marks," he says. "And defense wounds on her arms and palms," Morgan adds. "What kind of blade was it?" Hotch asks. "Hunting knife," the ME says, passing papers over. "Was there sexual assault?" The ME shakes his head. Morgan turns to Hotch. "He wanted to watch her fight for her life."_

_Gideon raps on the door sharply. He's come alone. The others have returned to the police station. The girl answers the door, wearing nothing but a tank top and a pair of boxer shorts. He thinks fleetingly that she must be freezing, then reminds himself that he's in Florida. This case has him shaken. She leans against the doorframe. "Hello?" "I'm Jason Gideon; I'm with the FBI..can I ask you a few questions about your friend Kate?"_

_She leads him to the kitchen and offers him something to drink. He declines. They sit, and he gets started. "You didn't go see the movie, did you?" She looks guiltily down at her bare feet. "No. We told our parents...that's where we'd be. But we didn't go." "Where did you go?" "The cemetery. Well..near it. See, there's this legend that we tell every year in front of the entrance, and every year someone has to go in and stay all night long." "And Kate went in alone," he states. She nods, mouth beginning to tremble. "Did you see anyone go in after her? Anyone suspicious?" She begins to shake her head no, then stops and shrugs. "I don't know; it was Halloween, you know? Everyone looks suspicious. But..there were these two guys hanging around the square when we passed through?" His heart thuds. Reid? "Why did they stand out?" She thinks. "They..they didn't have any costumes on. Everyone else did.." "Do you remember anything else about them? Body language, hair color, height..?" She shakes her head. "It was too dark...but one of them was short. And..I think the other one was blonde? It was almost like white blonde?" Gideon exhaled. Neither of them was Spencer. Then: "But the blonde one was really skinny. And kinda tall? Taller than the other one, anyway." His breath freezes up again. It could very well be him...He stands. "Thank you." He needs to get to the police station._

_The team is reviewing what they know when Gideon arrives. "Tell me what you know," he says. Morgan begins. "There was no sexual assault. She has defensive wounds on her palms and arms. The stab wounds show hesitation. The depth leans towards someone about 100 to about 115 pounds. Time of death was 11:45 on October 31. No trace of either drugs or medication in her system." Rossi picks up where Derek leaves off. "Parents said she went into town to catch a movie with her friends. She did good in school and didn't have a boyfriend." "She didn't go out much," Prentiss adds. "She skipped town and headed to the cemetery with her friends. She spent the night inside. Girl's friend says she saw two guys. One was short and the other one was blonde. Tall, lanky, and blonde." It's silent. Then, "Morgan, get Garcia on the line and see if we've got anymore murders like this one."_


	23. Chapter 23

_Garcia's waiting for them to call. They always call. Sure enough, the phone does. _

_ "Hey sweetness," Morgan says. She smiles. _

_ "Hey Morgan." _

_ "What, no smart response?" he sighs, "I know, I know." _

_ "What can I do for you?" She honestly doesn't feel like doing much._

_ "We're looking for any murders near this area with a similar MO." She starts typing, then stops. _

_ "Both?" _

_ "No, try separately. Slit throat and stab wounds to the abdomen first." The search returns next to nothing. _

_ "Nope," she says. _

_ "Okay. Now try the messages." The computer explodes. She gasps, shuts her eyes. Not fast enough. She still sees the images overloading the computer screen. _

_ "What is it?" _

_ "There's a lot. At least 20. All over the place, though. I'm..I'm sending them to you." She clicks send and shuts off the monitor. _

_ "We got them. Thanks, Garcia," he says, then lowers his voice, "Be strong, baby girl." They disconnect. Be strong. She almost laughs. Then she starts to cry_.

Present:

I drag my arm across my eyes and try to stop crying. I do, and end up shivering. They're not cold shivers, either. Somewhere, something in me knows this feeling well. Jason thinks I'm cold and removes his jacket, warning me to keep still as he wraps it around me. I let him think what he will. I don't want to disappoint him any more than I already have.

_Past_

_November 3_

_They sit in the car, map over their knees, remnants of lunch scattered on the dash. Ray grips a beer bottle between both hands, and Gregory peers down at the map, pen poised over a certain state. _

_ "Why don't we go here next?" Ray asks, pointing._

_ "You've already been there, dumbass. Focus," Gregory hisses, trying to concentrate. Ray belches and punches him in the arm, hard. Gregory controls his urge to punch his teeth out and settles for stabbing him savagely in the arm with the pen, hard enough to draw blood. _

_ "The fuck was that for?" Ray demands, grabbing a napkin to staunch the bleeding. _

_ "You just being you," he says sweetly. Ray pulls his blade, and Gregory does, too. In the small confines of the car, one wrong move means instant death. They challenge each other with their eyes before they both retract the blades at the same time. _

_ "Crazy fucking bastard," Ray laughs affectionately. Gregory smiles and turns back to the map. It's meticulously marked up in several different colors. _

_ 'Looks like something Reid would do,' Gregory thinks. He shakes his head. He doesn't need thoughts like that. _

_ "Look. We just came from there, and you've already been all around here-" _

_ "So let's go here," Ray interrupts. He hides his rage, barely. _

_ "Shut the fuck up and let me finish, okay? The FBI is down here," he points again. This time, when Ray opens his mouth, he actually has a good idea. _

_ "Let's lead them on a chase. Go here-" _

_ "And then here," Gregory finishes. They look at each other. Then, _

_ "Move. I'm driving." _

_ "Look who's finally taken the lead," Ray sneers. Gregory knows he's right. He has taken over. He has to. It's survival._


	24. Chapter 24

_So, I'll be equal parts surprised and thrilled if anyone bothers to read and review this now. It's been about a month since I last updated *hangs head in shame*. I apologize. See, I used to write Internal Deception on my cell phone, but it broke a couple weeks ago, and every time I attempt to write more..it ends up like this. Sorry for another super short update, but when I get my new phone, I'll be sure write a verrrryy long update just for you guys. So..R&R? Just like old times?..._

They've just now finished pouring over the old cases and analyzing the handwriting. They've got Garcia up on videochat and they're about to start creating a profile. Hotch looks at his team. "Tell me what you know about the unsub." Rossi speaks up first. "We know that there have been a series of murders with the same M.O throughout the southern states within the past year," he stands and goes to the map, studying it before turning to Morgan, "What the hell is this?" "What?" "Who made the map?" Morgan glares at him. "I just got here. Go accuse someone else!" "Spencer usually..." JJ trails off. "Hey," Gideon says softly, "Kids. Back to work." Behind their back, Rossi flicks a pushpin at Morgan. He sticks his tongue out right back. Garcia laughs. "You are such a child." He flashes her a grin. "Okay, let's go, continue." Hotch reminds them. He feels like he's trying to herd a group of cats. "Anyway, the attacks started in California in the summer of 2009. The body count remains the same: one victim each time. Here's the weird part; he's never killed the same way twice, but he always carves a message into their stomach when he's finished," Garcia tells them. "The murders always occur at night, and they're always either in the woods or near the woods," Prentiss adds. "There's never any sexual assault, and he seems to have no preference when choosing his victims. They're all over; male, female, black, white, hispanic, asian...ages range from as young as 16 to as old as 56," Hotch announces. "Garcia, cross reference-" "Already finished," she interrupts, "Nothing. Nada. At all." Gideon looks skeptical. "Nothing?" "Are you doubting Penelope Garcia's miracle working?" "Garcia," Hotch sighs, rubbing his eyes. "Sorry sir. But seriously, nothing. No jobs, events, vacations, schools, children, family, living location, internet and cell use...I've tried every conceivable combination there is. They're just no significant match. Or any match, in general. Even the dates have nothing in common." Gideon nods. "Okay, so he seems to follow a strict routine; one victim each time, always at night, always ending with carving in the stomach, and never the same place twice," Rossi says. "Except for this time," JJ reminds them, "He killed twice in the same state. I want to repeat what Morgan said earlier. All of the murders up to this point seem to be committed by the same person. Handwriting analysis confirms it." Morgan picks up where she's left off. "The handwriting and the stab wounds on this one don't match the others. At all. This person hesitated very often, meaning he was unsure, and the stab wounds are shallow, pointing towards someone thinner than the unsub." "Something's changed," Gideon murmurs. Hotch excuses himself and quickly walks from the room. The team exchanges a startled look.

Hotch breezes out the front doors of the precinct and takes deep breaths. He tries to calm himself. Everyone had been confused when he'd walked out, and rightly so. Besides Gideon, everyone looked to him as a rock; as someone unshakeable. Yet here he was, leaving a meeting because it had been overwhelming. All signs had pointed to Reid or someone like him. All signs. Suddenly, the statement Strauss had made when she'd detained them earlier made sense. "This is a conflict of interest." It was a conflict of interest. Because Hotch doesn't want it to be Reid. And so far, it looks as if it is.

Present

Diana still sits in the dark, flickering images from the tv casting shadows on the walls. She's turned up the volume; just barely. Looking back at the screen, she sees the pretty blonde girl Spencer had worked with. They'd gone on a date of sorts once. Spencer had written her about it. The letters had stopped coming in October. The door flies open, and she flinches, shielding her eyes from the sudden light. "Diana, you shouldn't-" The hardness drops from his voice. "So you know." She nods.

"Kid's got the shakes," Rossi announces, staring straight at Reid. Prentiss nods in grim agreement. Morgan balls his fists at his sides. "Ray must have introduced him to it," Prentiss says. "Not too long ago. A month and a half. Maybe two," Rossi says in agreement. Morgan drums his fingers on the hood of the car, trying to block them out. "What do you think it was?" she asks. "I can't really tell. I suppose it could be co-" "Enough!" Morgan yells, pounding his fists on the hood of the car hard enough to leave a dent. Prentiss flinches and refuses to meet his eyes. Rossi takes his glare head on. Neither speaks. Prentiss considers edging away from the increasingly awkward situation before it escalates and she gets trapped in the middle. Finally, Morgan turns his back on the two and puts his hands over his eyes. Prentiss reaches a hand out, but Rossi stops her. She forces her eyes back to Reid.


	25. Chapter 25

_**A/N: Hi everybody! So it's been almost a year since my last update, and I'm feeling so terrible about leaving you guys hanging! I actually just got a message the other day asking for a continuation of this. I'm not promising anything like a regular update, but I figured I'd give you this before I start working again. I had this written for a little while before. If you can't remember what's going on, please try and reread everything and refresh your own memory. Trust me, I'm trying to recall everything myself, so I'm afraid I won't be able to help with that. If you're not too mad at me...R&R please? Love you all!**_

* * *

November 3

It's night when they arrive in town. It's huge; overpopulated. They pull into a gas station. Something strange comes over Gregory, and for a moment, he's paralyzed. Reid revolts inside his head, and then all is silent. Ray stares at him.

"You good?"

"Yeah," he lies, grabbing his duffle and swinging it over his shoulder. Ray rolls down the window and grins at the attendant.

* * *

Gregory showers up quickly and changes. His hair hasn't been cut in so long that he's able to comb it back into a short ponytail. He notices that the blonde color makes him look paler than ever. He dresses and jams his cap back over his damp hair. On the way back to the car, he whistles and tips his hat at the attendant. Tonight's the night.

* * *

They drive off and separate. It's Ray's turn to pick. They know they're be people in the woods tonight. There always are. Gregory gathers their equipment, and Ray heads off into the woods.

"10 minutes!" Gregory calls. Ray flips him off from behind. Sitting on the hood of the car, Gregory begins filling the empty backpack, mentally crossing off each item. He's nearly finished when he hears the girl scream. She appears moments later, running from the trees. He closes up the backpack and drops it at his feet, holding out a hand for the girl to stop. She grabs onto him and sobs.

"He-he's after m-me! You h-have to help me!" He pulls her away from him.

"Who's after you?" He knows full well who. First night, and Ray fucks up his own plan.

"I don't know!" she shrieks, dangerously loud.

"Okay, okay. Here. Get in the car. I'll take you to the police station." He ushers her into the passenger seat and slams the door. Luckily, the two had had the foresight to clean up the maps and papers and shove them in the backseat. Before opening his own door, he looks out into the woods. He faintly sees Ray's form, watching. Gregory sends him a look that says, 'I'll be back.' And he will be. After he gets what he came for.

* * *

The road is bumpy and uneven. Between the bone jarring holes in the road and the girl's obscenely loud sobs, Gregory resists the urge to kill her, right there and then. He grinds his teeth. They're still heading out of the woods. Gregory has no idea where the police station is. He doesn't intent to take her there. He slows at a fork in the road; one side leads back to town, and the other into a darker, more secluded part of the woods. He turns and begins to follow the shadowed path. The girl suddenly stops crying, though now she looks as if she's about to start up again.

"W-where are you g-going?" she hiccups, "T-the police station is t-that way." She's afraid. Gregory grins.

"Don't worry. It's just a shortcut. It won't hurt." She looks up at him.

"What?"

"I said," he parks the car and pulls the key from the ignition, turning to her, "It won't hurt. I promise." She screams. Its too late.

* * *

November 4

The BAU is relaying their profile to the police when the call comes. JJ answers and turns away, happy for a distraction. The profile points towards two men, and one of them is beginning to look an awful lot like Reid. She listens for a few moments, then sits silent.

"Are you sure?"

Garcia double checks with the computer screen and the files sitting in front of her.

"When am I ever wrong?" she says lightly. Her heart isn't in it, though. They both know it. JJ sighs.

"I'll...um..go tell everyone," she says. Garcia nods.

"Okay." They're quiet a moment before they disconnect. Garcia spins around in her chair and looks to the ceiling, as if for answers. She'd sure like some right now.

* * *

Gideon had continued speaking when JJ had turned to take the phone call, but faltered now as she took an unsure step towards him. Glancing over, Hotch picks up where he's left off. Jason meets her halfway and looks at her expectantly.

"Garcia, um..Garcia called. There's been another murder."


End file.
